Together Again Forever
by hopelessromanticgurl
Summary: What if Stefan didn't let Elena help him after he was shot? What if he was ready to give up and die? Would Elena be able to save him? Will it spark feelings between them again? SPOILERS FOR 3x12 DON'T LIKE? DON'T READ!


**A/N I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! Ok, so I was about to go to bed last night when I was attacked by the ever so popular plot bunnies and they wouldn't let me go to bed until I wrote this. So here it is lol. This is just what I wish would have happen in last night's episode. This just a one shot. I will not be continuing it. Thanks to my beta Elena Rain! SPOILER WARNING!**

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><p>After knocking the shooter to the ground Elena quickly ran to Stefan. He was on the ground groaning in agonizing pain.<p>

"What can I do to help?" she asked dropping by his side.

She touched the wound in attempt to help him. To her surprise he pushed her away.

"No, don't, just get out of her. Go home, find, Damon, he'll help Bonnie." He groaned out.

"Stefan, I'm not going to just leave you here."

"Why not? It's what I deserve! After everything I've done to you, to the random people in this world, I deserve this. Just let me be alone, I don't want you to see this."

"What? Stefan that's crazy, you're giving Klaus what he wants! The Stefan I know would never do that!"

"Elena, the Stefan you knew is gone. He has been for a long time now. Just accept it and move on."

"I don't believe that, Stefan. I know somewhere inside you you're scared of feeling again because of some kind of guilt and fear that I won't love you. But you're wrong. I'll always love you Stefan! I'll always fight for you."

"Elena, I kidnapped you, forced you to drink my blood, and then almost drove you off the same bridge your parents died on, the same bridge I had once saved you from. I drank so much of your blood I put you in the hospital. I told you, Jeremy dying wasn't my problem, Elena, how can you still love me?"

The ripper inside him was fighting with the good inside him and tears was threatening to pool his eyes.

"Because, like I've said a million times before. I know this isn't you, Stefan. I know you better than anyone else, in this entire world, second to Lexi, I know you the best. I know inside, right this second, the good side of you is fighting with the ripper side of you to keep your emotions in check, to keep yourself from feeling! Am I right?"

Stefan didn't answer. He just groaned and squirmed on the ground.

"I knew it. Now, you better shut up, suck up that ego and let me help you, otherwise I will make Klaus seem like an Angel." She growled angrily.

Stefan was shocked but nodded finally agreeing to her. "Tell me what to do." She ordered.

"Every time I move the wood shifts inside of me. I can feel it scraping against my heart. You need to get the pieces out."

Biting her lip she nodded. She knew it was going to hurt; she never wanted to hurt him. But she did as he said and got to work at getting the wood out. It was harder than she thought, the more she pulled and tugged the more Stefan screamed and groaned in pain.

"I'm just trying to help!" she cried out, more to herself than to Stefan.

Inside, each cry of pain broke her heart and she needed to remind herself why she was doing this to him.

"Just get it out, Elena, please, just get it out."

Elena finally saw something and she knew, her Stefan was finally back. A loan tear slipped down his cheeks.

"Please." He begged once more. "Please get it out. It hurts so much, please."

"Just hang in there. I almost got it."

She stroked his cheek and the resumed pulling on the wood. With a loud cry of pain Elena removed the piece of wood and tossed it on the ground. She wiped the blood from her hands. They were both panting hard. Stefan was staring at her.

"You've changed…" he said suddenly. "…something is different about you. You're stronger and tougher."

Elena didn't know how to answer that so she said the only thing that came to her mind. "You're not the only one who has changed. We all had to, but…when you've lost what I have, it just…makes you stronger."

"It's good though. I like it."

He gave her one of those looks of love and care which killed her inside because she knew deep down she had done wrong by kissing Damon and now she could lose Stefan because of it. Sighing she decided to come clean, "I have to tell you something…I do feel guilty that it happened, but I feel even worse because you don't know."

She ripped the last piece of wood from his chest as he groaned. She waited another minute before she finally spoke. "I kissed Damon…he kissed me first but I didn't stop it. I kissed him back."

Stefan didn't say anything. But his eyes said it all. They were filled with hurt and pain, sadness, rejection, but most of all guilt.

"I'm so sorry…" was all she could say.

She got up and walked over to Jamie on the floor. She felt bad for hitting him. He didn't understand what happen or why he shot Stefan, he was a victim of Klaus's compulsion and hopefully he wouldn't remember any of this.

She heard Stefan get up behind her. He walked over to her and turned her to face him.

"Tell me everything that happened, before and after."

A part of him was hoping that Damon had forced her to kiss him, compelled her even, and that she didn't want it, but an even bigger part of him feared she liked it.

"You want the details, why?"

"Please, Elena, just tell me what you remember."

Elena sighed. "I...Damon had just…"

Tears filled her eyes. She'd never regret getting her brother out of town to save his life but the pain and hurt was always going to be there whenever she even thought about it.

"Do you even remember?" he asked her.

She nodded and sniffed and used to the sleeve of her shirt to wipe a few fallen tears. "I'm sorry, it's just hard. When you told me that you wouldn't help protect Jeremy…I knew Klaus was going to try again and I was scared he would succeed….he was all I had to left I….I didn't know what to else do…" Elena started to quickly get upset.

To Stefan it was sounding more like a defense to whatever she had done to Jeremy.

"I couldn't handle losing him again I…I did what I had to I….I love him….I can't lose him….I…"

Elena trialed off tears the tears falling faster and harder. Instinct took over and Stefan pulled her into his arms.

"It's ok, you're ok, you're ok." He soothed.

She cried against his chest and clung to him tightly. Stefan was still confused on what Jeremy had to do with Damon kissing her but he knew right now she due for some much needed comfort from him. A sudden fear rushed through him. Would Damon really threaten the life of her brother to get a kiss? No, he wouldn't…would he?

After a few minutes Elena calmed down. She looked up at him and pulled away. "I'm sorry, that was stupid."

"Stupid to show your emotion?" he asked.

She shook her head. She had to tell him what happen. No matter how much it hurt. "I had Damon compel, Jeremy to leave town to keep him safe from Klaus. Right after that I felt so sick to my stomach with guilt. All I could think about was what happen with Vicki and Damon compelling him to forget and him hating me and I was upset and I was emotional, I was thinking clearly. Damon had just told me that you had saved Klaus's life to save his life and so then I was confused and I was still hurt and torn about Jeremy, I was all over the place and I…I don't know the next thing I know he's kissing me and I'm kissing him back. There that's what happened."

"So what you're saying is…you were vulnerable and overwhelmed with guilt and pain and hurt. So my brother took advantage of that and kissed you. Is that right?"

"I kissed back, Stefan, I didn't have to do that and I did!"

"Elena, let me ask you something. You kissed Damon; you have this new found love for him you want to date him, all this good happy stuff….why save me? Why did you save me the day Alaric's car was on fire, why did you pull the wooden pieces from chest just now? Why were you so upset and scared to tell me. I wanted to die, I was ready to let those bullets kill me and yet you fought and yelled until I agreed to let you help me, why?"

"BECAUISE I LOVE YOU STEFAN!" She screamed as tears fell down her cheeks. "I always have loved you and I always will love you! No matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop! Right after I kissed Damon I wished it had been you. The kiss was comforting in that moment but I wished more than anything that it was you. "

Stefan walked right up to Elena and pulled her into a breathtaking kiss. Both of them had tears of happiness in their eyes. Their mouths opened quickly letting the other explore the inside with their tongue both holding the other's head. It was much more passionate than her kiss with Damon. It was perfect just the way she remembered.

As they kissed all the worries, fear, drama, all vanished. All either of them cared about at that moment was that they were together again and this time it would be forever.

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><p><strong>AN ok, so tell me what you think...it was just something I felt I needed to write to keep the hope of Stelena alive. Wouldn't it be great if this really happen though? Leave me your thoughts in a review. **


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